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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · kid · hide · roll · branch · row · straw · last

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. kid — child
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. branch — a division
  6. row — to paddle
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. roll — a list
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. row — a line
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com